


Uncertainty Principle

by badomens444



Series: Displaced [5]
Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Eventual Fluri, M/M, Universal Alteration - World Switching, au bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 21:05:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1150781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badomens444/pseuds/badomens444





	Uncertainty Principle

Author's Notes: Finally some hints of Fluri! It'll be a while before it comes full circle though.

* * *

Uncertainty Principle

Flynn was sure that after a day or two, Yuri would have either left the palace for good, or been back in high spirits and causing trouble once more. But after a week, he had done little more than loaf about the gardens or wander the halls aimlessly. Flynn hadn't had it in him to attempt to strike up conversation. What could he say? Did he apologize? How would that even go?

He thought of trying to explain to Yuri about why he was wrong, why Flynn had had him arrested, but Yuri had only been lashing out the way Flynn _wished_ he could. That didn't make it _right_ , but Yuri hadn't really been _wrong_ either.

He thought even more briefly about trying to explain to Yuri about Cumore and what had happened, but the moment that came to his mind, his anger from that day, a week before, from that day nearly half a year ago, all came right back to the surface.

Whatever the solution was going to be, it wasn't going to be something that Flynn merely stumbled onto easily. Or so he thought.

"Sir, you have visitors," Sodia called from the open door his office and a moment later, allowed the entry of two very familiar faces: a scantily clad Krityan woman with lavender hair, and a young boy with messily slicked back brown hair.

"Flynn!" The boy shouted, rushing up to his desk and planting his hands on the front of it to hoist himself up to better look at Flynn. "How's it been?"

"It's been well, Karol, Judith. What brings the two of you here?"

"Work as usual," Judith said with a bit of a sigh. Guild life had proven to be a lot for the two of them. From the pouch on her belt, she pulled a letter, sealed in red wax, bearing the ever-winding knot of the Union's emblem. "Harry asked us to deliver this, and to wait for a reply."

It wasn't often that Harry Whitehorse, the current Don of the Union, sent a correspondence, so it must have been urgent. Flynn opened the letter with a flick of his knife and read the contents quickly but carefully.

It was a request for the aid of the Knights. A village that had recently been founded near the ruins of Caer Bocram was having a tough time with a monster infestation, and the guilds alone weren't enough to defend the town and smoke out the nest. The town of Rorael had been founded much the same way that Aurnion had, as a goodwill gesture between the Union and the Empire, and its safety relied on them both. A brigade of knights in combination with some of the Hunting Blades, who were already stationed there, would be enough to deal with the problem. And this would also be a good opportunity for Flynn to get out of the palace for a while.

But there was still Yuri to deal with. He couldn't leave him here unsupervised, even if he was only sulking right now. Maybe it would do him some good to get out as well.

He left Karol and Judith to sit in the silence of his office while he drafted a reply and sealed it. He delivered it into Judith's hands.

"I assume that Brave Vesperia has been hired by the Union to help with this trouble."

"We have!" Karol said, a small crack in his voice.

"Please return this to the Don, and if you wouldn't mind, would you come back for Repede and myself tomorrow? Oh, and one other person."

"Oh?" Judith asked, a slyness to her voice and a cock of her brow.

"It's too much to explain at the moment, but I'll introduce him to you tomorrow." Yuri's story would take more time to tell than they had right now.

"I see," she said, slipping the letter into her travel pouch. "I look forward to it, then."

"This'll be great!" Karol smiled. "All of us getting back together for a little while."

"We'll be off to deliver this. We'll back at dawn for you and your mystery guest."

"Thank you."

They left him with a wave and he immediately got to work. Getting a brigade of knights together in order to mobilize by morning was no easy task. With Sodia's help, it was made just a little less difficult. She did much of the running around and by supper, they had a group ready to depart with Sodia at the lead. It wasn't a large group, but their numbers should have been sufficient to take on a nest of monsters. The basilisks and tortoises and spikkits there wouldn't cause too much of a problem for a small troop. Flynn wasn't usually looking forward to fighting, but the idea of getting to do some fieldwork of his own was too good to resist.

He still needed to break the news of their trip to Yuri, but he wasn't sure exactly how he was going to do that, seeing how they had hardly been in each other's presences for more than a few moments in nearly a week. Yuri always had an appetite. Perhaps the prospect of dinner would coax him back into the palace for a chat.

When knocking on the door to the room Yuri had been staying in yielded no results, he took a bowl of curry from the kitchen with him to the stables. It was dark and getting late, and if Yuri was anywhere to rest, the stables might be the place.

Repede greeted him with a bark, poking his head out over the half door of his stall. A shift in the hay told Flynn that something else was in there with Repede, and it was probably Yuri. This was confirmed when he made it to the half door and found Yuri inside, leaned back against the small stack of hay, a horse blanket balled up under his head. His eyes were closed so he might have been sleeping. His chest rose and fell with soft breaths and he seemed relaxed.

Repede trotted over and quickly woke Yuri with a barrage of sloppy licks, sending him rolling to try and avoid the dog's tongue.

"Cut it out, Repede!" he cried, voice caught somewhere between laughter and dismay. But the laughter was gone when he sat up and saw Flynn standing there. "What do you want?"

Flynn was surprised that he got that much out of Yuri. His charcoal eyes focused down and away. His anger hadn't been forgotten.

"I brought you dinner."

"I'm not hungry." Yuri's stomach begged to differ.

He extended one of the bowls down to Yuri, who stared at it for a long moment before taking it.

Flynn upturned an empty feed bucket and sat down as well, waiting for all the words and thoughts he needed to gather before he started talking. A few bites of food had his resolve a little reinforced. They could attempt to talk about this calmly. He wasn't ready to tell Yuri everything yet. It was still too much for Flynn to handle at times. He would try to stay off the topic of whether or not Yuri's actions had been justified. He would try to be simple, concise, and plain.

"About last week--"

"Who was that flashy dickwad?"

He immediately had to bite back the anger he felt, not burning toward Yuri, but toward the object of the question. He was going to have to answer it sooner or later, and waiting was unlikely to make it any easier.

"His name is Alexander Cumore, former Second Captain of the Imperial Knights."

"Former?"

"He was relieved of his duty several months ago after a string of incidences."

"What kind of incidences?"

"I'd rather not talk about that." It was all he could say to not let the rage get the best of him. Those horrors weren't something that he could discuss with any ease or comfort. He was glad that Yuri seemed to let it rest at that. The words and thoughts all lost now, he was afraid that further conversation on the topic would just erupt into an argument. "I came down here to tell you that we're leaving Zaphias tomorrow."

"Wha?" Yuri tried to ask through a mouthful of curry and rice.

"We received a request for help with some monster problems in a town on Tolbyccia. In addition to sending out a brigade to handle the problem, I am going as well. I thought that you might like to join me, as you haven't seen much of the world beyond the city."

Yuri jolted up a little. "Wait--"

"I thought that getting out of the palace might be good for a few days. It'll give you a chance to see a bit of the world."

He was wary, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, "Does this come with another lecture?"

Flynn couldn't help but chuckle a little, letting it wash away some of the anger still in the pit of his chest. "No. No lecture. The monsters we're going to be fighting are pretty weak, so it will be a good time for you to get some practice in while there's back up."

"That's great." Yuri leaned back against the wooden wall of the stable, still looking at Flynn.

"We're leaving first thing in the morning. You might want to go ahead and get packed up tonight."

"Sure."

Once his bowl had been emptied, Flynn left the stables feeling a little bit better. He had expected an argument, a fight, but neither had come. It had ended a lot less angrily then he had expected. Maybe Yuri had seen how much the event upset Flynn, and how uncomfortable he was about talking about it. But Flynn did owe him an explanation. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was something that he was going to have to do sooner or later. And the longer he waited, the harder it was going to be.

As he was getting ready for bed, he could hear the pad of feet in the next room, and the strangely reassuring sound of Yuri's voice. Had that simple conversation been enough to pull him back into the comfort of the palace, rather than sleeping with the animals in the stable? If that was true, Flynn really should have spoken to him sooner. But he had the feeling that Yuri couldn't shake that off on his own, and neither could Flynn.

The warmth of his bed seemed cool in comparison to that in his chest, an uneasy fluttering. He had felt it for some time now, but ignoring it had been easy lately. A little food or a cup of coffee quickly brushed it off. But now it was something that was getting hard to avoid.

* * *

Yuri's charcoal grey eyes were bright and wide as he stared up at the Entelexia above them. Ba'ul waited above the field just beyond the walls of the city, holding the rigging of the Fiertia tightly in his mouth. Yuri's mouth was agape with astonishment. It was like he had never seen anything as big as Ba'ul, a creature almost large enough to block the sun out over a large section of the city. But that wasn't all. Yuri had told him once that the monsters outside the city didn't exist in his world, so it seemed likely that a creature like Ba'ul might not exist either. Either way, the look on his face was priceless.

"What the hell is that thing?" He finally managed through his surprise.

"Ba'ul is not a 'thing'. He's my partner," Judith said with her approach.

His eyes dropped to see her, and he seemed almost as shocked by her as he was by Ba'ul. She didn't stop in front of him, instead circling him as a predator around its prey. He turned with her vision, keeping a close eye on her. Stopping with a smile, she turned to Flynn.

"How did you come across this one? I didn't think you had it in you to pick up strays."

"It's a very long story." Flynn was going to have to tell them at some point soon.

"I trust that it's an interesting one."

She had her back turned to Yuri, and before Flynn could stop him, Yuri reached with hand outstretched to attempt to touch one of the long blue antenna that jutted from the back of Judith's head, as they did with all Kritya.

"Wow, they're fluffy."

"Yuri!"

As soon as he caught one between his fingers, Judith coyly slapped his hand away. "My, how forward."

"I apologize on his behalf," Flynn started to inject, but Judith dismissed this with a smile.

"It's no problem, Flynn. But it seems like he's never met a Krityan before."

"A what?"

"Oh. It seems he hasn't. How odd." She took a step back away from them and extended a hand out to Yuri. "I'm Judith. And you are?"

"Yuri." He shook her hand.

"Now that we're properly introduced, shall we get aboard? We still have a flight ahead of us."

"Flight?" Yuri turned his curiosity on Flynn, who felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"Ba'ul's going to fly us to the town of Rorael."

"Ohhhh."

She led the two of them to a rope and slat board ladder that she had descended from and sent Yuri up first, followed by Repede and Flynn, and she climbed aboard last. Yuri instantly started pacing the deck of the ship, hands drifting across the railing and eyes scanning overboard. Repede followed him, keeping close. Karol emerged from the cabin, rubbing sleep from his eyes and jogged up to greet Flynn happily.

"Hey! Where's this friend you said you were bringing along?"

Judith pointed for him, over to Yuri, who was leaning over the bow.

"Wow, Repede's sure taken a liking to him."

"Oh, I'm sure that Repede's not the only one," Judith's sly smile brought the strange fluttering in Flynn's chest back and he found himself smiling for some reason or another. It wasn't like he was particularly happy. They had a mission, and he was just a little excited to get out of the palace for the first time in a long time.

Flynn cleared his throat, perfectly sure of what Judith meant, but with no intention to give her more fuel to fan the flames. She could make up plenty enough of that on her own. She was a tease, sometimes driving even Estellise to awkward outbursts, although Rita seemed to be her favorite target. Besides, it wasn't like that. Yuri was merely someone that Flynn felt sorry for and found himself looking out for. The circumstances weren't anything more complicated than that. But he knew that Judith would construe that however she chose and there would be no two ways about it.

The three of them moved to the bow to stand with Yuri and Repede, and Karol introduced himself. Yuri leaned over him before Karol could say anything.

"Do you have them, too?"

"T-them what?" Karol stuttered.

"Hm. Guess not. So are you a friend of Flynn's?"

"That's right! I'm Karol Capel, the leader of Brave Vesperia."

"Brave Vesperia?"

"It's a guild!" Karol was always proud to talk about the guild that he worked so hard to found. "We're named for the brightest star in the night sky."

"That's pretty sweet. I'm Yuri Lowell."

"Nice to meet you, Yuri. So are you going to be helping us with the monster problem in Rorael?"

"According to Flynn."

"Well, it'll be great to work with you."

"You, too."

Yuri might have been rough around the edges, but at least he got along with people pretty well. Flynn's old party was a great group of people. He really couldn't have asked for a more supportive team, and it was good to be back with them for at least a little bit. It seemed like everyone had scattered to the four corners of Terca Lumireis after the defeat of the Adephagos, and he rarely saw them. So this was a treat for him as much as it was a treat for Yuri, but it was work first, and Judith quickly reminded him off that.

"Shall we be off then? We do have a lot of work to do."

"Let's go!" Karol cheered with a spring in his step.

Wordlessly, Judith urged Ba'ul to lift off and into full on flight, swimming through the clouds after only a few moments. Yuri staggered at first, catching himself against the railing instead of falling onto the deck, at the sudden momentum of the ship. Flynn knew first hand that it was difficult to adjust to at first, but after just a few moments, Yuri seemed to be able to walk the deck while in flight with no problem. Nothing held him down for long. He spent the flight pacing the deck, watching the ground go by beneath them with a childlike wonderment.

"You're smiling again." Judith sneaked up beside him, or maybe she had been standing there all along, but either way, she startled him.

Flynn's face filled with the same warm lingering in his chest, but he didn't respond.

"So, where did you find this one?" She said that like he made a habit of bringing home strange people.

He summarized the story of how he had met and come to be a sort of guardian for Yuri, and gave her a brief highlight of the events since. The moment that Cumore's name came up, her crimson eyes narrowed in a display of disdain that was unusual for her.

"Does he know about that yet?"

"No. I'm not sure how to tell him."

"If he's as hotheaded as you say, I don't think that it's going to be easy for him to take in. I would be careful with what you say and how you say it. But don't leave him in the dark too long."

He hated to admit that her advice was right. He was going to have to talk about the incident in Mantaic sooner or later, no matter how angry it made him. And he definitely had a feeling that Yuri wasn't going to take it in stride like he had taken everything else. Not after the horrors that were committed there. Anyone would be traumatized and angry, but with as unpredictable as Yuri was, it was difficult to know just yet what sort of reaction he would have. But right now, the continent of Tolbyccia was just coming into view and they had work to do.

* * *

The forest had been teeming with basilisks, but between the Knights, Judith, Repede, Karol, Flynn, and Yuri, they stood little chance. The whole nest of them had been wiped out, and with winter still fast approaching, it was certain that they would not be back until at least mid-spring. Even a routine job like this loosened his muscles and got his head in the fight, where he could think clearly and calmly even while his body was flooded with the urge to fight. It was a welcome change to the stuffiness of the palace, and from the look on Yuri's face, he must have felt the same.

His fighting was improving, and quickly. He had come a long way in a short time, and the training blade seemed much more natural in his hands now than it had before. In time, Flynn really was going to have to get him a real sword of his own. It would have to wait a little while longer. Maybe once they were back in Zaphias, he could try once more.

The better part of the afternoon was spent exterminating monsters, and then they were finally able to rest within the quaint and recently constructed town of Rorael. It was the second town built without the use of blastia, and the main function of it was to serve as a mining town, as the resources that Rita used in the production of her long burning wood substitute were found in the cliffs that bordered the town. But this town was much more than that. It was an important milestone in the fostering of peace between the Union and the Empire, much like Aurnion had been, and for that purpose it needed to be protected.

He had to admit that the scenery was pretty spectacular well, between the tall, blue grey cliffs and the dark green of the forest that surrounded this place. But the one attraction that really seemed to be bringing people into the town was the massive waterfall that rushed down the cliff side from the river that ran above. The flow it created split the town in twain, with the bridge to cross the gap between the two sides. With everything that had happened that day, and with food to be had, Flynn hadn't expected to find Yuri and Repede there, staring up to the hazy cliff tops above just at the waterfall's downward bend.

Flynn hesitated a moment before setting foot on the bridge. What was weighing so heavily on him that he was reluctant to approach Yuri? He knew they had a lot to talk about, even after the seemingly calm conversation they had had only the night before. Flynn still owed him an explanation, and Judith had been right when she had said that he shouldn't let it wait too long. But it was more than just that wearing away at his nerves.

Repede let out an "Arooo..." turning Yuri's head to see Flynn, standing at the end of the bridge. Why was he suddenly so stiff, frozen in that charcoal gaze? The small grin that graced Yuri's lips threatened to draw him forward, so he urged his legs on. Suddenly, the thought of explaining the situation of Cumore wasn't his only concern. His mouth went dry, hotter than the Sands of Kogorh with its unquenchable heat. He wasn't sure why he was trying so hard to maintain the appearance of being calm and collected.

"You did well out there today," he found himself saying something, anything to fill the silence in his hot mouth. It was the truth, though.

"Thanks. So am I ready for my own sword yet?" He replied without missing a beat and without giving Flynn a chance to think up what else to say.

"We'll see about that when we return to Zaphias."

Yuri nodded, turning back to face the cliffs. "This world's pretty amazing. Monsters and elves with furry antenna, flying whales and scenery like this...."

"What was your world like?" As soon as it came out, Flynn wished that he could retract the question. The subject was likely to be painful.

"Buildings that touched the sky and endless lights that blocked out the stars. Millions of people, noise, that sort of thing. But no monsters."

"Do you miss it?"

Yuri shrugged and Flynn decided to let the subject rest, turning to another that might prove just as upsetting.

"I owe you an explanation."

"For what?"

"Cumore." That name came out in a hiss of a breath and Flynn took a moment of silence to let his resolve build up along with the words for the best way to explain everything. Yuri deserved that much. "Alexander Cumore was once a captain of the Imperial Knights, who was asked to resign as a result of the events while at his post in the oasis town of Mantaic, on the continent of Desier to the southwest."

He could feel the heat of those charcoal eyes on him and it made his stomach turn, but Yuri said nothing.

"A little less than six months ago, this world, Terca Lumireis, was a vastly different place. The Empire was vastly different under former Commandant Alexei." That would be a story for another day. "Cumore was the self-appointed magistrate of the town of Mantaic. He abused his power, and as a result, the town was oppressed severely and many of its citizens were sent to their deaths in the Sands of Kogorh, all in order to fulfill his own twisted ambitions.

"By the time I arrived and discovered what was happening, the damage had already been done and the only thing that I could do was to take him into custody and put a stop to it." Flynn wasn't sure why he was shaking so hard, and why his fingertips were full of splinters. Had he been gripping the wooden railing of the bridge that hard? Were the ten little indentations in the wood from him?

"And when, once he stood trial, he got off with a sentence that was disgusting. They _asked_ for his resignation, and that was it. After all the pain he caused and the crimes he committed, for his 'punishment' to be so insignificant is a travesty. It wasn't justice." He was still sick with rage, a rage that he had taken out on Yuri a week earlier. Yuri hadn't been in the right, but he had been _trying_ to help.

"It sounds like you did everything you could." There was a strange sympathy in that voice that snapped his head around to look at Yuri.

Flynn leaned against the railing, sagging slightly, and ran one hand absently through his hair. "It still feels like what I did wasn't enough."

"Then work to change the law, to make it so people like him get what's coming to them in the future. If you can't do anything now, at least you can work toward a better tomorrow."

That eased the rage a little. It seemed less hopeless now. It was as Yuri said. If Cumore was beyond his reach now, there was no reason that those who perpetrated such acts in the future would get away with it. Having his conscience eased was not what he had come here for, but it had happened anyway, and he was glad for it. For the first time, he was glad that Yuri had come into his life. Maybe it wasn't simple happenstance that had brought him here. Maybe it was something more.

 

 


End file.
